The invention concerns a method and equipment for pulp fractionation in a paper machine or such, such as a board machine.
Multi-layer headboxes are already in use with many board grades and they are also on their way to printing paper machines. Layering has traditionally been done by layering the supply of either filler or retention agents. It is a weakness of this system that the pulp itself is entirely similar in all layers, so the drainability, fibre content and quantities of fines in the layers are not different. This of course limits the efficiency of layering.
Alternatively with e.g. tissue or board machines the different raw material components, such as short and long fibre, are treated separately from each other all the way from pulp treatment to the headbox. In such a system a double pulp system must of course be built all the way from pulp treatment to the paper machine.
Fractionation plants are used also in the production of pulp. Pressurized screens are generally used in the fractionation, and the fractionation is performed already at the pulp plant. In this case too a double pulp system must be built for the paper machine.